The Rising Sun Volume 2
by charliepaceluver117
Summary: Sunstream is now a warrior, but the prophecy that hangs over the Clans hasn't disappeared, and she realizes that something is going to happen soon that will the change her destiny, and the Clans, forever...rated T idk why, please R&R!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi everyone, and it's good to be back! Sorry it's taken so long, but I am finally uploading the prologue to Rising Sun Volume 1 (I still have a bit of writers block). Expect a lot more drama (and action, of course)! So, do you know what would be a great way to celebrate the return of this story? Reviews! At least one, please =) **

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since the first story…I still unfortunately don't own Warriors. **

Prologue

Countless stars twinkled in the night, shining on the SunClan camp. In the warriors den, a golden-colored she-cat was sleeping soundly, breathing steadily. For once, her head was free of worry, and she slept, dreamless. Above, cats with star-covered pelts watched.

"How can cats sleep when there is such a terrible danger coming?" a gray tom rasped. He paced around in a circle impatiently, but the other cats ignored him.

"It's not as if they know about the danger," another cat replied calmly, whose fur was black, yet there were so many stars mixed in, it looked white. "Any time to rest is good, because they don't know how much time they have left before they have to face… the danger."

"Danger!" the gray tom spat. "If I could, I would rip the pelt off of those cats who think they have more power than the Clans."

"At least the Clans have the prophecy," a brown tabby tried to add in, but a hiss from the gray tom made her back off.

"I don't know how that prophecy is going to help them. Those prophecy cats don't even know what it means! How are they supposed to help the Clans?"

An old tortoiseshell she-cat stepped up to where the cats were arguing. "Those cats were chosen for a reason, and eventually they will find the strength . . . However, _some _of them received special help when they were not supposed to."

Her gaze swept to two cats that were sitting at the back of the group, their heads bowed. A younger tortoiseshell glanced up, her eyes rebellious, but the ginger tom brushed against her side to calm her down. She dipped her head again, but her tail twitched in frustration. A soft hiss escaped her mouth.

"Meadowleaf, you know very well we can't interfere with these cats' lives! What if it affects the prophecy?" the black cat added, with others nodding in agreement.

"I don't regret helping her," Meadowleaf replied. "If Flamefeather and I hadn't, she probably would've thought that StarClan abandoned her!" She leaped to her paws, pelt bristling, as she faced the other StarClan cats. Flamefeather stood up as well in protection, although it was obvious she didn't need any.

The gray tom opened his jaws as if to scold her about something, but before the meow escaped his jaws, he was leaped on by Meadowleaf. The tortoiseshell pinned him to the ground easily, and even though her claws were sheathed, the tom looked up at her with a nervous expression. They stayed in that position for a while, until another cat ran over and butted Meadowleaf off of the tom. The cats were about to begin fighting until the other tortoiseshell yowled loudly.

"Enough!" she exclaimed. The StarClan cats reluctantly backed off from each other, Meadowleaf joining Flamefeather again. Once everyone seemed to settle down, the old cat spoke again. "Well, we all know why you wanted to help, Meadowleaf, but what about you, Flamefeather? What's your reason for wanting to 'help'?"

The red-brown tom did not answer; instead, he kept his gaze fixated on a bug that was crawling on the ground. He flexed his claws, sinking them into the mud, as the other cats gave him curious looks. When it was obvious that Flamefeather would not reply, the cats moved on from the question.

Together, they all surrounded a small pool of water, which was glittering with stars. The brown tabby and the older tortoiseshell exchanged a look before glancing down into the pool, which was beginning to change. The faces of four cats appeared- golden, silver, gray, and tortoiseshell. Meadowleaf glanced up from where she sat, but she did not move forward, and neither did Flamefeather.

"The danger is brewing . . ." the gray tom murmured, "more than I could've ever imagined. These cats have to stay strong, because if not, the Clans will be destroyed."

They all nodded their heads in agreement, when suddenly darkness enclosed on the StarClan cats. A few wailed in surprise, but as soon as it had happened, it was over. Meadowleaf gasped, and the others turned to look at her; her green eyes were clouded, and she trembled slightly.

"What is it, Meadowleaf?" they wondered. Although they were annoyed by her, they were still curious about what she had just experienced.

"If the cats do not succeed, the Clans will be engulfed in darkness forever, and all will be lost," the tortoiseshell meowed seriously. The group all exchanged worried looks, well, all except for the gray tom. He began to stalk away with his eyes narrowed.

He yowled, "I predicted this! I can't stand around and watch my former Clan die." With that, he disappeared into a nest of ferns and never looked back.

The remaining cats didn't say anything else; instead, they began to think about what Meadowleaf said. It was an omen, and the clans would have to hear about it. The older tortoiseshell didn't like it, though; most cats didn't even know about the original prophecy. What would they say about this addition?

"The Clans have a difficult future," she started, "but they will make it. I have faith in these young cats, and I know they will succeed."

"Let's hope so," the black she-cat murmured, but nobody paid any attention to her.

The tortoiseshell was padding over to Flamefeather and Meadowleaf again. "From now on, I expect you two to watch and not interfere. If you try to help, you might be asked some questions that you won't be able to answer. Do I make myself clear?" she hissed.

Reluctantly, the ginger tom and tortoiseshell she-cat bowed their heads, saying nothing. The she-cat nodded sternly before heading off, and the two cats were able to sit together peacefully. Flamefeather gave a loud sigh before standing up, stretching his back in a long arch. He glanced at Meadowleaf with sympathetic eyes, but she was already licking the ruffled fur on her body.

_I'm not giving up, _she thought to herself. _I won't be told what to do like a mewling kit . . . I'm going to do everything possible to save SunClan. I was useless when I was alive, but not anymore. I _need _to do this. _

She glanced up, meeting Flamefeather's with innocent green eyes, and she knew he was completely unaware of what she was thinking. She had given up once before, but it wasn't going to happen again. The Clans needed her.


	2. Allegiances

**A/N: Okay well, my computer is being really stupid, and I had so much of chapter 1 written, and then BAM it got deleted :/ so now, I'm pretty depressed, and the only thing I could do was fix the allegiances. Hopefully this works, and I'm sooo sorry! I'm going to try and type up chapter 1 as soon as possible! **

**Allegiances**

**SUNCLAN **

LEADER- Ripplestar- gray she-cat with silver stripes along her back and pale blue eyes

DEPUTY- Stormhawk- muscular brown tabby tom with stormy gray eyes

MEDICINE CAT- Quailfeather- small mottled she-cat with big green eyes

WARRIORS- Thrushwing- beautiful dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes; mate- Deersprint

- Seastone- she-cat with soft gray fur and dark blue eyes

- Eagleflight- golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes; mate- Silvermoon

- Deersprint- brown tabby tom with white specks on his back and green eyes; mate- Thrushwing

- Birchwind- small creamy brown tom with amber eyes; mate- Rainfall

- Bluejay- blue-gray tom with bright blue eyes; mate- Robinsong

- Robinsong- gray-blue she-cat with a surprisingly red-brown chest and startling green eyes; mate- Bluejay

- Morningdew- long-limbed gray tabby she-cat with pale green eyes

- Sunstream- golden yellow she-cat with long, pale orange stripes and amber eyes

- Minnowfin- skinny silver tom with blue eyes

- Blackfox- black tom with a white tip on his tail and two white paws with blue eyes

APPRENTICES- Acornpaw- dusky brown tom with amber eyes; mentor Eagleflight

- Cinderpaw- dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes; mentor- Deersprint

- Jaypaw- blue gray she-cat with dark blue eyes; mentor- Stormhawk

- Hawkpaw- brown tabby tom with green eyes; mentor- Minnowfin

- Swallowpaw- dark gray she-cat with green eyes; mentor- Morningdew

QUEENS- Rainfall- pale gray she-cat with darker gray specks and blue eyes; mate- Birchwind (kits- Mudkit, Mousekit, Daisykit)

- Silvermoon- delicate gray tabby with tiny gray specks and gray eyes; mate- Eagleflight (kits- Cinnamonkit, Lemonkit)

ELDERS- Nightshade- old dark gray tom with a long scar down his cheek

- Oceanwave- once beautiful dappled gray she-cat with green eyes

- Smokecloud- light gray tom with big green eyes

- Ashwhisker- battle-scarred gray tom with green eyes

- Starlight- pale yellow, almost cream-colored she-cat with amber eyes

**MOONCLAN**

LEADER- Stonestar- muscular gray tabby tom with piercing blue eyes

DEPUTY- Leafripple- pale gray tabby she-cat with rippling darker gray stripes and calm green eyes

MEDICINE CAT- Pebblefoot- brown tabby tom with dark gray paws

WARRIORS- Clawear- broad-shouldered white tom with badly-clawed ears

- Pondpelt- sleek blue-gray she-cat with dark blue eyes

- Marshtail- brown-speckled gray she-cat with green eyes

- Longclaw- huge black tom with unusally long claws

- Sleekfur- long, sleek gray tabby tom with amber eyes

- Salmonstripe- dark gray tabby she-cat with light silver stripes

- Lilypad- small brown she-cat with eyes the color of lily-pads

- Moonriver- beautiful, silvery-white she-cat with big blue eyes

APPRENTICES- Rockpaw- large brown tabby tom with amber-brown eyes (mentor-

Longclaw)

- Reedpaw- energetic solid gray tom (mentor- Clawear)

- Fishpaw- dark ginger tom with green eyes (mentor- Pebblefoot)

QUEENS- Firepoppy- bright orange she-cat with amber eyes (kits- Amberkit,

Vinekit)

ELDERS- Oldbrook- small, physically weak brown tabby she-cat but with fiery

amber eyes

- Brushfire- brown tabby tom with a hint of orange in his pelt

- Silverflower- silver tabby she-cat with a gray tail and chest

**SKYCLAN**

LEADER- Willowstar- slender, milky brown she-cat with amber eyes

DEPUTY- Windyfur- white she-cat with faint gray stripes

MEDICINE CAT- Duskcloud- ginger-brown tom with green eyes

WARRIORS- Breezepelt- pale gray tabby tom

- Lonestripe- pale tabby tom with one black stripe

- Windwhisker- pale tabby tom with long, wispy whiskers

- Skyflight- small tortoiseshell tom with a white tail and chest, and sky blue eyes

APPRENTICES- Moorpaw- dark brown tabby tom with usually narrowed green eyes

(mentor- Windwhisker)

QUEENS- Heathertail- long-haired brown tabby (kits- Gingerkit, Berrykit, and Speckledkit)

- Grayfoot- solid black she-cat with gray paw

ELDERS- Hillstep- long-legged brown tabby she-cat

**CLOUDCLAN**

LEADER- Shadowstar- black tom with dark gray specks

DEPUTY- Darkpine- very dark brown tom with dark green eyes

MEDICINE CAT- Smalltail- black and white tom with a very short tail

WARRIORS- Pineforest- light brown she-cat with darker flecks and leaf-green eyes

- Marshfur- blue-gray tom with dark amber eyes

- Rippedwhisker- dark gray tom with almost all his whiskers torn out

- Deadleaf- small tortoiseshell she-cat

- Thistleclaw- black and gray tom with very sharp claws

- Cloudwhisker- very pale gray, almost white, tom with amber eyes

- Swamppelt- dark tortoiseshell she-cat with murky green eyes

APPRENTICES- Smoothpaw- gray tabby she-cat with small white specks (mentor-

Smalltail)

- Frogpaw- muddy-brown tom (mentor- Cloudwhisker)

QUEENS- Creekflood- long-haired blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes (kits-

Volekit, Treekit)

ELDERS- Toadcroak- brown tabby she-cat with an old, scratchy throat

- Foresttail- red tom with a dark brown speckled tail

- Woodtail- large gray tom with a dark brown tail


	3. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow guys, I am soooooo sorry. You've waited forever for this, and I wouldn't blame you if you had forgotten all about the story. I could give all of my excuses- deleted my story, then lost the inspiration to start it again, etc., but I'm just going to let you read this first chapter without any more rambling. I love reviews as you know **** so maybe new reviews will get me to write more of this! R&R and thank you so much for reading this!!! =] **

Chapter 1

A pale light made its way through the treetops of a forest. Barely past dawn, everything was quiet, and it felt as if by speaking, you were disturbing the area. A squirrel darted across the forest floor in search for acorns, and when it spotted one, it settled down and began nibbling. Nothing alerted the furry animal that it was being watched, so it was able to eat … but not for long.

"Mr-row!" a lithe cat exclaimed, jumping on the squirrel and quickly ending its life. She shook her yellow-and-orange fur, ridding her pelt of loose leaves, and began to bury the squirrel so she could pick it up later.

"Nice catch," one of the cats with her purred, whiskers twitching in amusement. He flicked her nose with the tip of his silver tail, which made her roll her eyes.

"Minnowfin! Sunstream! Are we on a hunting patrol or aren't we?" a golden-brown tabby growled.

Sunstream looked up suddenly and ignored the prickling embarrassment she felt. "We're coming, Eagleflight," she replied.

It had been a half-moon since Sunstream and Minnowfin had become warriors, and she was still very excited about it all. Sometimes, when she found herself alone in the warriors den, she would roll around in the moss, acting like a kit. However she hadn't done that recently, ever since Blackpaw had become a warrior. He was Blackfox now, and he acted as if he had been a warrior for moons! Occasionally, she would notice him limping, but he would always deny it.

_Oh well. He's a stupid fur ball anyway if he expects it to get better without any rest._

Blackfox wasn't the only cat who was still suffering with injuries from the attack by SkyClan, though. Her brother, Acornpaw, was still hurt, but thank StarClan it wasn't as bad as before. He was starting to train again, but it would still be a while before he became a warrior, since he was so far behind.

"Sunstream, look at this!" a dark gray cat exclaimed, with a plump quail by his paws. Sunstream purred as she approached her friend.

"That's a giant bird, Cinderpaw!" she mewed, and then, moving closer, whispered, "maybe you should bring it to your mother, since then she won't be so cranky when you pick the ticks out of her fur." Cinderpaw closed his eyes in delight before rejoining Eagleflight at the front of the patrol.

Luckily, ever since the battle, Sunstream and Cinderpaw had become best friends again just like before he was apprenticed. It was awkward at first, but now she felt as if the fight had never happened. For once, it seemed like things were doing well.

_It probably won't last long, though, _the young warrior thought with a sigh, and as soon as she thought that, a strong scent flooded her nostrils. CloudClan! The others had scented it as well, so they all tried to see where it went. Eagleflight was at the head of the patrol, so he led them forward.

"Why does CloudClan want to hunt on our territory?" Minnowfin wondered aloud. "They have to cross the Thunderpath to get here. Seems pretty stupid if you ask me."

"Maybe they're getting tired of eating crowfood," Cinderpaw joked, with Sunstream purring in agreement. One look from Eagleflight, though, made them stop their joking.

"We must report this to Ripplestar," the golden-brown tom ordered. Sunstream glanced at where the enemy scent was, but she sighed and followed the rest of the patrol; she had been hoping for an exciting battle, her first as a warrior!

_I guess it'll have to wait, _she thought as they headed back to camp, jaws filled with prey.

Once they got back, Eagleflight immediately headed to Ripplestar's den. Dropping her squirrel and voles in the fresh-kill pile, Sunstream followed the ginger warrior, ignoring the curious looks from her friends. When they reached the SunClan leader's den, they heard the calming voice of Ripplestar inviting them in.

"Good morning, Eagleflight, Sunstream," the gray and silver she-cat said warmly. Beside her was Robinsong, and it seemed like they were sharing tongues together. Sunstream almost felt guilty about interrupting their peaceful morning, but then she remembered what they were there for.

"CloudClan has been on our territory," Eagleflight growled. "I can't believe it! Ripplestar, we have to lead a patrol and keep them away for good. I'd be willing to lead, and—," but with a flick of her tail, Ripplestar silenced him.

Gazing at him with calm, clear blue eyes, she replied, "Last time I checked, I was Clan leader, Eagleflight."

Eagleflight lowered his head as Sunstream suppressed a purr, almost not hearing what Ripplestar said next. "Eagleflight, tell Stormhawk to increase the patrols so we can have every chance possible to prove they've invaded our land. Robinsong, I want you, Deersprint, and Bluejay to hunt, but don't go near the Thunderpath until everything is sorted out." Dipping their heads, the two older warriors turned and left the den, and Sunstream was about to follow as well, but Ripplestar called out. "Stay here, Sunstream."

_I wonder what she wants . . . _she thought curiously. _I haven't really talked to her recently; but then again, why would she want to talk to me? I must be going crazy. _

But she didn't betray any of her thoughts as she stood in front of the elegant gray she-cat, trying not to quiver. As she took a closer look, she realized that Ripplestar's eyes looked distressed, which made her even more curious.

"I just wanted to ask you if you could send your friends Morningdew and Minnowfin to come here; I wanted to ask them something."

Oh. That wasn't what she expected.

"Okay, Ripplestar," she replied, padding out to the clearing where cats were sharing tongues. Minnowfin was anxiously waiting for her, and she spotted Morningdew with Birchwind off to the side. Calling them both over, she told them what to do. Minnowfin cocked his head.

"Are you okay? I mean, you don't seem as . . ." He didn't finish his sentence, so Sunstream only shrugged as she watched the two cats meet Ripplestar in her den. She was surprised at how curious and _jealous _she was; they got to speak with Ripplestar alone, for a special reason, even if it was probably only a minor thing. But now . . . Sunstream groaned, plopping down to forget about her feelings. Ever since she had vowed to figure out that prophecy, she had gotten more obsessed over being the best warrior possible.

At the sound of paw steps shuffling on the ground, she glanced up to find Minnowfin already out, excitement rippling from his pelt. She cocked her head, but he only twitched his tail, not planning on giving away anything.

"You'll find out tonight!" he mewed. Sunstream watched as he left the camp, and she found herself staring at his shiny silver coat, so unlike the other SunClan pelts.

_Might as well visit the elders. Oceanwave must be getting bored, not being able to leave the den because of her leg. _She felt bad for the once-pretty elder. She had simply gone for a refreshing walk, but recently she had tripped in a ditch and twisted her leg pretty badly. For now she wasn't allowed to walk on it, which meant having to spend more time in the elders den, where Starlight complained nonstop.

"Ah, Sunstream, there you are," was Oceanwave's pleasant greeting. Sunstream meowed a reply, but her eyes glanced to the gray elder's tail. A bundle of muddy brown fur was trying to hide, but it stood out. It wriggled, making Sunstream purr. Oh, scratch that- _two _bundles of brown fur, with a white patch of fur squeezed between them.

In the corner, Starlight and Ashwhisker were sharing tongues, both of them sending sharp looks at Sunstream. Apparently she wasn't welcome here. Blacksky always liked her; too bad he wasn't there anymore . . .

"What's under your tail, Oceanwave?" she asked the she-cat.

Oceanwave didn't reply, but Smokecloud did. "Don't ruin the fun, kits will be kits," he whispered with a spark in his eyes.

"Unless kits are disturbing your rest," Nightshade grumbled, but even he didn't direct his harshness at the innocent kits.

_I wasn't planning on it. _A lot of the time, the kits were the only things that kept her light-hearted.

"Hmmm, I wonder what's under Oceanwave's tail . . ."

"Mrrow!" The three bundles jumped out and pounced on Sunstream, pushing her down. She purred, trying to swat them away with sheathed claws. One of them, the darker brown tom, was bigger than she remembered, though, and stronger, too! He leaped on her tail, pinning it down between his paws. The smaller one managed to pull her ear, while the white she-kit just stayed on her stomach, bouncing happily.

When she finally felt them weighing down on her, she flicked her ears before leaping up, sending the three kits flying. "Okay, okay," she joked, "I think we've decided who the prey is."

"Hey, you were letting us win," came Mousekit's indignant mew.

"That's not fair!" Mudkit echoed.

Daisykit nodded, her amber eyes peering into Sunstream's own amber ones. "Starlight told us we didn't have a chance, but- but we're big, too! Only one more month until we're apprentices!"

"More than a month for you," Sunstream added to Daisykit, even though she hated dampening the kit's spirit. "Mudkit and Mousekit are older than you."

Before she could add anything, though, the two brothers leapt to the white kit's defense. "No! The three of us are being made apprentices at the same time! Rainfall _promised." _

Sunstream was touched. Daisykit hadn't been in SunClan for long, only since she and her siblings had been brought here because their own Clan couldn't take care of them, but she was already a part of everything. She loved everyone, and was unbelievably positive for a cat who had lost practically _two _mothers—her real mother, Heathertail, was still in SkyClan with Daisykit's three other siblings, and her SunClan foster mother, Whitemist, had died protecting her. It seemed like, no matter what she faced, she got through it all.

_But maybe that's just because she's young, and a kit. They bounce back fast, _she mused.

"Okay, well, I think we elders need some rest," Oceanwave meowed in the short silence.

"'Kay, bye!" the kits exclaimed. Daisykit mewed a goodbye to Sunstream as well before the trio bounced back to the nursery, where Rainfall was no doubt waiting.

Arching her back in a stretch, Sunstream told the elders, "I think I might rest a little bit, too. Don't worry; I'll make sure Cinderpaw brings you guys a nice, warm squirrel tonight."

Ashwhisker grumbled something inaudible, but Starlight replied in a louder, offended tone. "Our son shouldn't have to do all the work, what with her brother hurt. Luckily, that'll change tonight."

_What are they mumbling about? _But Sunstream didn't want to seem like she was eavesdropping, so she didn't question them. She'd find out soon enough. After all, SunClan gossip always spread before the sun left the sky.

With a twitch of her tail, though, the young she-cat curled up in a ball away from her Clan, relishing the thought of a nice sleep. She yawned, already getting ready to dream of chasing butterflies and running till the day was done.

*****

However, when Sunstream opened her amber eyes, she realized that chasing butterflies would have to wait. This dream felt . . . different, more realistic. With a gasp, she realized it felt like the times when Meadowleaf and Flamefeather used to visit her.

"Flamefeather?" she called hopefully. "Meadowleaf? Are you there?"

When there was no answer, she began to explore the area, which was a complete mystery to her yet felt familiar somehow . . . and she was sure she'd never seen it in a dream before. Pine trees were everywhere, and the ground was soft and damp. Was this CloudClan territory? Was that why she knew it somehow, because she'd seen it from a distance? But why on Earth was she here in a dream?

"Hey, who are you?" The deep growl of a stranger made Sunstream nearly jump out of her fur.

_It's not real. Get a hold of yourself, Sunstream._

"Y- you can't ask me that, this is my dream," she said boldly, trying to sound stronger than she really was.

"No, it's not, are you stupid?" the other cat hissed, a tom for sure. She saw his hard amber eyes glaring at her from the shadows, making her hiss in reproach. Whoever he was, whatever he was talking about, was really making her mad!

She flexed her claws, snapping, "Get out here so I can see you. I don't care this is a dream, I can still fight." The tom glanced at her with a new look, maybe curiosity, before giving a sigh and walking out. His front paw came out of the darkness first, and she noticed it was a pale gray color—so gray it was almost white. She tried to relax, so she wouldn't jump at him the minute he came out, and continued to stare at his eyes. She could tell he was just as confused she was, but he was better at hiding his emotions.

But then, Sunstream began to notice something. He was out of the darkness, yet his face was still shadowy and black! She backed up in fear, turning around and speeding away. Across the Thunderpath, through the marshy field, away from whoever—no, _whatever _that cat was.

"Wait! I don't know who you are!" he screeched.

_I don't know who you are, either, _she thought, not looking back. His face, it _haunted _her. Why couldn't she see his features, see who he was?

_"Soon." _A voice seemed to come from nowhere; it sounded as if the breeze had spoken.

"What?"

_"You will know soon. It is the cloud."_

"The- the cloud?" But everything was gone, and Sunstream found herself chin-deep in muddy darkness, and no matter how much she struggled, she couldn't escape.

"Wait, help! Help me! I'm stuck and lost. Please!" Her desperate pleas brought no one, though, which brought an overwhelming sense of defeat.

_If I can't get out of this, how can I possibly understand the prophecy? It- _

A sharp blow struck Sunstream in the side. She blinked her eyes rapidly, finding herself in the SunClan camp, just like when she had fallen asleep. With a deep breath, she realized that she had actually been afraid; she had forgotten she was in a dream. Her amber eyes, still haunted by the black face of the mystery cat, softened in recognition of the cat that had woken her.

"Oh, it's only you, Acornpaw," she whispered in relief.

"_Only _me?" her brother joked. "Mom told me to come and wake up, and I'm glad I did because you seemed pretty freaked out by something. But anyway, let's go!"

His exclamation brought silence from Sunstream, who cocked her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you serious?" the brown tom replied. "Bluejay has been talking about it all day. Robinsong's kits are finally becoming apprentices today!"

At that, Sunstream nodded and purred; about time those three kits were made apprentices! Hawkkit and Jaykit were already mini warriors, and hopefully with their help Swallowkit would be, too.

"Let's go, then," she meowed excitedly, leaving Acornpaw to limp up to catch her. She began to think of the possibilities- three new apprentices, maybe one of them would be taught by a new warrior, someone like her. Jaykit was eager, but Swallowkit could be brought out of her shell. Even Hawkkit would be great . . .

Her thoughts trailed off, though, when she spotted Minnowfin and Morningdew sitting together, side by side. They sat proudly next to the nursery, where Sunstream heard many complaints, probably from the kits. Minnowfin waved his tail in greeting, hardly able to sit still, but Sunstream didn't react as it all dawned on her.

"Oh."


	4. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, don't hate me. lol. That's really all I have to say. And once the story picks up, I swear I will be much more diligent with writing! Thank you thank you SO MUCH for sticking by this story, and I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: **

Chapter 2

"Despite the recent drought, SunClan is strong, and this is shown by appointing new apprentices," Ripplestar announced to the clan. Sunstream sat off to the side, listening but glancing at Minnowfin every few seconds.

"Hawkkit," their leader began again, beckoning to the small brown tabby tom who jumped forward eagerly, "until you are a warrior, you will be known as Hawkpaw. Minnowfin, you are young but strong, and I hope you pass all you learned from Birchwind to Hawkpaw." Minnowfin purred, dipping his nose down to touch Hawkpaw's, murmuring something that Sunstream couldn't hear.

_Why aren't I excited for him? _She asked herself. _If it had been me and not him, he would've been ecstatic for me._ As the ceremony continued, with Morningdew becoming Swallowpaw's mentor, her thoughts drifted back to the dream. The voice had said "soon," but she wondered when _soon _really was. Did it have to do with the prophecy?

"Hawkpaw, Swallowpaw, Jaypaw!" Sunstream glanced up in surprise as she realized that she completely zoned out during the final part of the ceremony. She squinted to see who Jaypaw's mentor was, before finally making out Stormhawk's menacing outline.

She was about to head back to the warriors den, but before she could, Seastone was already calling her over. Sunstream purred a greeting to her friend, who stood near the entrance with Birchwind and Blackfox.

"Wanna go on a night patrol with us?" the gray she-cat asked.

Secretly, Sunstream felt like sleeping and taking a break from her Clanmates, but she exclaimed, "Sure!"

"Go get Minnowfin, then, okay? I'm sure he won't be taking Hawkpaw out yet, so it's his last night of freedom." Before waiting for Sunstream to agree, though, the rest of the patrol was already starting to move out of camp.

In the distance, she heard Blackfox complain, "Why does he have to come with us? He's a cocky mousebrain anyway," and Sunstream had to agree. Minnowfin wasn't cocky, but she didn't feel like being with him at the moment.

At the sight of his silver fur, for once her heart didn't beat faster. Instead, she walked over to him coolly, not looking at him in the eye as she said, "Seastone wants you to join our night patrol."

"Okay," he agreed with a flick of his tail, rubbing it quickly across her pelt. She didn't react with a purr like she normally did, though, making him cock his head.

"I- I'll go tell Hawkpaw to rest for tonight," he stuttered. "I'll be right there."

With a nod, Sunstream padded back to where the patrol waited, digging her claws absently into the ground. Across the camp, Cinderpaw glanced at her curiously, but otherwise did nothing to alert her of his presence.

***

"Congratulations on your first apprentice," Birchwind purred. "I knew my mentoring would pay off."

"Thanks," was Minnowfin's warm reply, but he sounded distracted. "I don't know how I'll be as good as you, though."

Seastone twitched her whiskers in amusement. "No need to flatter him, Minnowfin. You're not his apprentice anymore; he can't send you to help the elders if you misbehave."

Birchwind pawed Seastone in the ears, meowing in good nature, "Hey, I'm the senior warrior, I can send him to the elders if I want to!"

Blackfox muttered something about acting like kits, but otherwise the patrol remained lighthearted. As they approached the CloudClan border, Sunstream automatically thought of the faceless cat. Her paw-steps faltered, stopping her in her tracks. Minnowfin ran into her from behind, making them both fall to the ground. At that exact moment, a monster flew across the Thunderpath, which made them both jump in shock.

"Sorry!" the silver tom yelped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she snapped. "I'm not a little kit." She wasn't going to announce anytime soon how scared she was by a dream.

Minnowfin glanced down at his paws, murmuring, "I never said you were . . ." Otherwise, though, he stopped talking. And it was a good thing, too, because they wouldn't have heard the coming CloudClan patrol if he had been.

"Stand your ground," Seastone meowed through gritted teeth. Next to her, Blackfox flexed his claws, while Birchwind hissed. Minnowfin and Sunstream ran forward to join their patrol, each baring their own teeth to match the threatening hisses from CloudClan.

There were three of them, Sunstream noticed as she glanced at each of them. They were outnumbered, but then again, you never knew where those shadowy cats could be hiding. The leader was Rippedwhisker, a dark gray tom she'd seen at Gatherings before. Next to him was a small muddy brown tom, who must've been a new apprentice. And next to him stood a broad-shouldered very pale gray tom, with sharp amber eyes.

Sunstream took a sharp breath as she recognized those eyes. They were like hers, but harder and narrower. Of course, they were probably narrower because he was angry, but that was beside the point. The point was . . . she had seen this cat before.

As the CloudClan tom glared at them all, he didn't seem to notice Sunstream specifically; maybe he was just a regular warrior after all, not anyone special. But, after staring at Sunstream for a moment, his eyes became wider and more focused. They stared at each other in recognition, each remembering their shared dream, because it must have been just that . . .

"You weren't planning on coming onto our territory, were you?" Rippedwhisker hissed.

"Look who's talking!" Blackfox retorted, ignoring Seastone's signal to keep quiet. "We've scented CloudClan in our territory, and don't deny it!"

"How can you prove it, mouse-breath?" the little apprentice squeaked.

The CloudClan warrior finally snapped out of his trance, turning sharply to the apprentice and growling, "Frogpaw, if you can't say anything productive, keep your mouth shut." Frogpaw rolled his eyes but eventually did as he was told. As all this occurred, Sunstream kept staring at the cat, completely confused. What did this mean?

As she watched them, Seastone, the only calm one in the group, spoke up. "Listen, it's not our place to accuse each other if no one will admit anything. We will go back to Ripplestar to report this, as you most likely will to Shadowstar, and they will decide what to do." And with a short nod, the gray she-cat led the patrol away, with Sunstream having to tear her gaze away from the CloudClan gray tom.

When she knew they were far from the CloudClan border, Sunstream casually approached Seastone. The warrior purred a greeting, but the hard look in her eyes showed she was more upset about the confrontation than she let on.

"Do you know who the younger gray tom was? I recognized Rippedwhisker and the apprentice, but not him."

Seastone eyed Sunstream curiously but replied, "That's Cloudwhisker, a warrior probably around your age. I heard he's a pretty good fighter, but I haven't met him in battle yet. Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, nothing, I just want to get to know all the cats in the forest," she mewed innocently.

Suddenly spotting an oblivious mouse eating something, she found an excuse to leave the group. After swiftly killing it and thanking StarClan, she joined Seastone, Birchwind, Blackfox, and Minnowfin again, but her mind was still occupied by Cloudwhisker. Even when she got back to camp and was greeted by a shy Swallowpaw, Sunstream couldn't focus.

_Maybe I'll get another dream sometime soon, _she hoped. _So I can figure out what I'm supposed to do now. _

Days passed though, with no dreams, and Sunstream was getting a little despondent. This Cloudwhisker was important, but how should she know if she didn't receive any more dreams!? As she basked in the sun, lazily licking some of her fun down, her thoughts slowly trailed off. Newleaf was a great season, especially for second chances and new life. Second chances . . .

A shadow loomed over Sunstream's head suddenly, interrupting her from her thoughts. As she glanced up, squinting her amber eyes, she found Cinderpaw staring down at her. His face was grim, although she didn't know why.

She cocked her curiously. "Do you need me for something?"

He shook his head, though, only meowing seriously, "Come with me."

_Okay . . .? _But she followed her friend slowly, who seemed to be walking on a random path. It wasn't where they usually hunted, and it wasn't close to the borders; in fact, it was close to Twolegplace . . . the last time she had been there was her _wonderful _adventure as a kit. They weren't supposed to be there, so she was pretty confused on why Cinderpaw was taking there. He usually followed rules.

"Cinderpaw . . . any reason why we're out here? What about your mentor, does Deersprint know you're out here?"

Cinderpaw snorted, telling her, "Deersprint is out hunting with Stormhawk. They're always talking, it's like they don't have any apprentices. I mean, I feel bad for Jaypaw, since Stormhawk barely takes her out." His tail flicked to end, realizing that he had begun to ramble. Sunstream purred, but he only rolled his eyes, continuing on the trail.

"You never answered my question," she pointed out. "Where are we going?"

"You've been different lately," he responded, glancing at her with genuine sympathy. "We don't know what's wrong, but we want to make you better!"

_We, who's "we"? _she wondered. But she didn't ask any more questions, deciding that it was better to just wait and see. Plus, it didn't seem like she was getting anything out of Cinderpaw.

When it seemed like they would be walking forever, Cinderpaw finally stopped. He stood next to a giant boulder, which was above a small creek. Sunstream assumed it eventually led to the MoonClan river, but because of the drought there was barely any water in it. Only a small trickle proved it wasn't completely dried up.

"What are we doing here—mrroww!"

A large brown cat leaped from behind the rock, landing on Sunstream as he caught her off-guard. At first she hissed and tried to claw the cat off of her, but when she saw Cinderpaw's happy face and smelled another familiar scent, her limbs relaxed and let herself go limp. The cat on top of her purred before hopping off, his tail hitting her shoulder.

"You give up so easily!" Acornpaw complained. "I wanted to beat you."

"Well, I'm just a little confused on what you and Cinderpaw are doing here," Sunstream retorted, "and maybe I don't feel like fighting!"

Acornpaw huffed. "Cinderpaw was right. You aren't like your old self."

She was about to ask what that was supposed to mean, but her ears pricked up at a sound from the other side of the border. A twig had snapped, and it was either prey or another cat. Dropping down into a hunter's crouch, she snuck up to whatever was over there. She was about to pounce too, but then she spotted a pelt of silver that stuck out in the brown and green underbrush.

"Minnowfin?" she asked confusedly. "You're here, too?" The silver tom glanced down at his paws, nodding cautiously.

Staring at the three toms, she asked, "What's going on here?" They glanced at her innocently, before finally Cinderpaw broke out into a purr.

"We're ambushing you," he meowed.

"Good ambush." But despite her dry answer, she was amused by what was happening.

Cinderpaw led the group to a path that led deeper into the forest, flicking his tail in a general direction. "The three of us are taking you on a hunting party to cheer you up, and there is nothing you can do to stop us."

_ What? _But her brother and friends were already leading her down the trail, not even bothering to ask her what she thought about their "scheme." Cinderpaw led them in the front, his dark tail high and swaying, while Acornpaw—who was older than Cinderpaw by a moon—was jumping around like a kit. She knew he was excited about being fully healed, and she wondered just how close he was to being named a warrior. Staying next to Sunstream, but not touching her, was Minnowfin. His silver paws brushed against spare leaves, but she tried to keep her focus off of him.

_I don't know how this is supposed to help me. They don't know why I'm mad; I don't even know why I'm mad!_ When she snapped out of her thoughts, she realized that her paws had been landing heavily on the ground, and all eyes were on her.

Acornpaw glanced at her with twitching whiskers, purring, "Way to scare all the prey, Sunstream. Whoever made you a warrior before me must have been crazy."

Rolling her eyes, Sunstream flicked Acornpaw's nose with her tail. "Tell that to Ripplestar."

A scurrying in the shrubs alerted the patrol to prey, and Sunstream immediately dropped into a hunters crouch before the others realized something was even there. Being careful not to brush against anything, she quickly glanced at where the squirrel was before leaping and landing on it perfectly. She quickly killed it before turning around to see the others congratulating her; they were probably just trying to put her in a better mood, sucking up to her, but she had to admit . . . it was kind of working.

_Not that they'll ever know that. _

Spending the rest of the day hunting, Sunstream and friends had found enough prey to feed the whole Clan. They had multiple spots where the prey was buried, and soon they would have to go fetch everything to bring it back to camp. Currently, they were relaxing close to camp, near the MoonClan river. Sunstream only hoped that Stormhawk wouldn't come and criticize them for not being "productive."

"Okay, let's play a game," Sunstream announced to the toms. They all glanced at her curiously, surprised at her sudden positivity. She was surprised herself, but the newleaf air seemed to be cleansing her mind.

Cinderpaw cocked his head. "What kind of game? If we get too crazy, someone might hear us."

"Well, I don't know, really . . . but I just feel like doing something before we have to head back." She flicked her ears as they began to suggest a million ideas at once, until Acornpaw stood up. His eyes flickered mischeavously as he glanced vaguely into the distance.

"How about," he began slowly, narrowing his eyes, "we have a race? We have to each run to a Twoleg nest—different ones, not the same one—and bring back . . . bring back . . ."

"Catmint, growing in the bushes!" Cinderpaw meowed. "Then, no one can scold us because we'll be bringing back herbs that will help the Clan."

Sunstream purred, because she knew her brother wouldn't love the idea of _helping _when he's _playing, _but he went along with it anyway. Soon, the four cats were stationed next to the river. Acornpaw scraped his claws against the ground, while Cinderpaw was arching his back in a long stretch. Sunstream saw Minnowfin, and she pointedly ignored his gaze. She squinted her eyes, lowered into a crouch, and waited until Acornpaw spoke again.

"One, two, three . . . GO!" he exclaimed, hurtling himself in front of everyone. "First place doesn't do chores tomorrow!"

Sunstream pelted through the trees, hopping over bushes and sticks that were strewn on the ground. She had gone a different, and hopefully shorter, than the toms, and already she spotted the looming Twoleg nests up ahead. In a few short seconds she spotted a bush full of catmint, but no one, human or cat, was around. She breathed deeply as her sides heaved before pulling off a few stems. The aroma filled her lungs, but she was careful not to destroy anything.

_Maybe I should head back now, in case they come . . . _But an overwhelming urge to sleep had come over her, and she wasn't really sure why. She huddled in a ball next to the bush and closed her eyes . . .

In her dream, Sunstream didn't feel like she normally did. She felt like there was a presence in the darkness she stood in, but she couldn't see anything. She could have been standing for seconds or days, and the presence remained.

Her mouth opened wide as if to speak, but she then realized that nothing came out. _Hello? _She called with her thoughts. Maybe, they would hear her. _Is someone here?_

_ Cloud, Sky, Moon, and Sun. _

_Oh no, not the prophecy again! _Sunstream whined. _Can't I ever get a peaceful sleep? _The presence spoke again, though, ignoring what she thought.

_On the eve before a gathering night, the four will meet, late at night. _

A shiver went down Sunstream's yellow spine. Was this telling her something? And why was it rhyming? She knew she should have asked a more serious question, but not much was making sense at the moment.

_And if they don't . . . havoc will ensue. _

_ Well, there goes the rhyming. _However, she was more bothered by the fact that the ending had seemed so serious they didn't want any rhyming. Havoc would ensue . . . Really?

When her mind cleared, and her amber eyes blinked blearily back to the present, she found three pairs of eyes on her. She pushed herself to her paws as Acornpaw meowed something. "I can't believe you fell asleep!" he said indignantly. "You're the one who suggested playing a game in the first place! And now, because of you, Minnowfin won."

"Thanks, Acornpaw," Minnowfin replied dryly. He turned his attention back to Sunstream, eyeing her with worry written on his face, but she passed them all, carrying her catmint back to camp. She had to think about what just happened, and she was only coming up with one option. She was going to meet these cats and figure out what was going on.


End file.
